Easy Overnight Sourdough Focaccia Bread
My overnight sourdough focaccia is one of the easiest sourdough recipes for beginners! With minimal ingredients and no complicated shaping, it creates a soft, airy bread with a crispy, golden crust.
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Equipment
- 1 Medium/Large bowl
- 1 9x13 Pan
Ingredients
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 400 g warm filtered water use 380g if using all-purpose flour
- 30 g olive oil
- 500 g unbleached bread flour
- 10 g salt
- Seasonings or herbs of choice onion powder and dried rosemary shown here, but feel free to be creative!
- 1/4 cup Extra olive oil for drizzling the pan and topping the dough
Instructions
- Mix the Dough before bed: In a large bowl, combine the 100g of sourdough starter, 400g warm filtered water, and 30g olive oil. Stir until the mixture looks milky. Add the 500g of bread flour and 10g salt, then mix until there are no dry flour clumps. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Stretch and Fold: Focaccia dough is flexible, but it benefits from a couple sets of stretch and folds. Perform stretch and folds by gently pulling one side of the dough upward, then folding it over itself; rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides to build strength and structure. Perform 1-2 sets of spaced 30 minutes apart, covering your dough in between.
- Bulk Fermentation: Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours or overnight, until it has doubled in size, is bubbly, and jiggly. Its ok if it over ferments, focaccia is very forgiving!
- Shape and Proof: In the morning once bulk fermentation is complete- Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Transfer the dough into the pan. Gently fold both sides of the dough toward the middle and flip it upside down in the pan. Let it rest for an additional 1-2 hours to allow the dough to relax and spread out in the pan.
- Add Toppings and Dimple: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Drizzle the top of the dough generously with olive oil, then sprinkle your chosen seasonings or herbs on top. Using both hands, press your fingers into the dough to create deep dimples across the surface.
- Bake: Bake the focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C) and has a golden, crispy crust.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the focaccia from the oven, let it cool slightly, and transfer it out of the pan. Top with flaky sea salt, slice, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I've added a video to this recipe for my visual learners!
